The journal
Guides, festivals, food and practical advice from the people who travel the country every week.
Travel guides
Escarpments that drop a kilometre into the lowlands, gelada monkeys by the hundred, nights at 3,600 metres. How a Simien trek works, which route to choose and how to prepare.
Editor’s picks
Culture
Every church’s tabot carried through the streets, an all-night vigil, then a blessing with water at dawn. A guide to Ethiopia’s most spectacular festival and where to see it.
Latest
Wildlife & nature
The world’s rarest canid hunting giant mole rats on a plateau above 4,000 metres, then a descent into one of Africa’s largest cloud forests. Why Bale is Ethiopia’s best wildlife destination.
Destinations
Ethiopia’s royal capital for two centuries: a walled enclosure of stone castles, a bath that fills once a year, and a church ceiling covered in angels. How to spend a day in Gondar.
Food & coffee
A cuisine built on one remarkable grain, a spice blend in every kitchen, and a fasting tradition that makes Ethiopia one of the easiest countries in the world for vegans. A first-timer’s menu.
Visa & entry
Most visitors apply online before they fly. How the official e-Visa works, what to prepare, how far ahead to apply, and how to avoid the look-alike websites that charge extra.
Travel tips
Ethiopia has three seasons rather than four, and they differ by region. When to go for the historic north, the Simien and Bale mountains, the Danakil, the Omo Valley and the great festivals.
Travel guides
Eleven churches cut down into the living rock eight centuries ago, still used every day. How the site is laid out, how many days to give it, and how to see it with a priest rather than a crowd.
Destination guides
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Travel guides
Travel it with us
Addis AbabaAdventure
Run or walk Africa’s biggest road race at 2,350 m on Sunday, then end the week at a Thanksgiving table in Addis Ababa.
Addis AbabaCultural
Walk beside the tabots to Jan Meda on the eve, then stand in the crowd at dawn as the blessed water falls.
Addis AbabaHistorical
The city often called Africa’s capital, in one easy day: the emperor’s tomb, the hammering lanes of Merkato and the hill where Addis began.
Tell us where you want to go and when, and we will build the itinerary around you.
